The state’s plan to revamp the Interstate 75/Interstate 24 interchange was the kick-off project as Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam held ceremonial IMPROVE Act signing events Monday across Tennessee’s three grand divisions.
I-75 at the I-24 interchange – where traffic roared past the governor late Monday morning at the Hamilton County Welcome Center near Exit 1 in East Ridge – sees more than 100,000 vehicles a day and is notorious for its traffic jams.
Signing events this week are ceremonial. Haslam signed the legislation back in April.
Haslam said the act accomplishes three goals in enacting the largest tax cut in Tennessee history, funding a safe, reliable transportation network without debt, and providing more local money for local governments.
LIST OF PROJECTS
Here are some of the Chattanooga and regional projects Gov. Bill Haslam says will benefit under his IMPROVE Act:* Interstate 24: Beginning at I-59 on the Georgia line, 10.3-mile project would widen I-24 to U.S. 27 in downtown Chattanooga. Estimated cost: $171.5 million.* Rebuild interchange of I-75 and I-24 in Brainerd and East Ridge. Estimated cost: $65 million* Upgrade interchanges on I-24 at Broad Street and Market Street to rework ramps and improve access from I-24 to the Southside. Estimated cost: $37 million.* I-75: Interchange modification at Hamilton Place mall: $40 million.* Work on six I-24 bridges, including over Rossville Boulevard ($6.2 million), eastbound lanes over Broad Street ($4.2 million), over old Southern Railway lines ($2.9 million), over Germantown Road ($3.2 million), over Central Avenue ($4.6 million) and Williams Street ($3 million).* Widen Ooltewah-Ringgold Road from Apison Pike to East Brainerd Road. Estimated cost for the 4.4 mile project is $56.7 million.* Widen Bonny Oaks Drive near Enterprise South from Industry Drive to Adamson Circle: $8.3 million. From Adamson Circle to west of Bonnyshire Drive: $20.7 million. From Bonnyshire Drive to I-75: $21.2 million.* Bonny Oaks Drive bridge over Chickamauga Creek: $5.1 million.* Rhea County: Widen eight miles of SR 30 from U.S. 27 to west of Tennessee River bridge. Estimated cost: $44.1 million.* Polk County: Ocoee River Gorge bypass. Phase 1 is a 23-mile stretch costing an estimated $300 million; Phase 2 is a $200 million project involving 2.1 miles through mountainous terrain.* Bradley County: Widen North Lee Highway from near Anatole Lane to SR 308 in Charleston: $36.8 million.* Bradley County: Build truck climbing lane on southbound I-75 at White Oak Mountain: $18 million.* Bradley County: Widen I-75 from Cleveland urban boundary to Bradley/McMinn county line: $26.2 million.* Bradley County: Preliminary engineering for widening 8.8 miles of I-75 from exit 11 to exit 20. Includes a significant amount of work in Hamilton County. Estimated Cost: $95 million* Marion County: Preliminary engineering for widening of U.S. Highway 64/72 between Kimball and Jasper. Estimated Cost: $28 million*Sequatchie and Bledsoe counties: Preliminary engineering to address immediate issues on the highway, add improved signage, more visible pavement markings, guardrails and turn lanes where necessary on 17 miles of State Route 28 from Dunlap to Pikeville. Estimated Cost: $2 millionSource: Tennessee Department of Transportation